by K. Anne
I sucked in a deep breath before opening my mouth and spilling everything to Asher, just like I had with Cain. It was strange. I was comfortable telling both of them about my mother, but Amanda—the only person I’d been friends with for months—still had no clue about what had happened. Even if she did ask for the details, I wasn’t sure if I would tell her.
After only a few days, Cain and Asher had become safe havens for me. That made me want to question my own judgment. After my mother had betrayed me, trust was not something that came easily for me. I couldn’t understand why I could trust the Collins brothers so easily.
When I finished, Asher was quiet for a moment. I shifted uneasily in my chair, looking anywhere but at him. I suddenly feared that he would turn his back on me just like everyone else had.
“I think…” He paused. “I think that everything happens for a reason. Obviously, your mother was unwell. Maybe she misunderstood something she’d heard, and it caused her to lose focus on reality. Maybe by attacking you though, she was finally able to get the help she needed.”
“You think a misunderstanding made her try to kill me?” I asked incredulously.
He sighed. “I don’t know what I think, Ella. But whatever caused her to snap, I’m sure she wouldn’t have done it on her own. She obviously needed help, and she’s now receiving it.”
“It’s too bad that it almost cost me my life though,” I said bitterly.
“Life doesn’t end in this world, Ella. Our time on Earth is so short when compared to eternity. Losing your life here doesn’t mean that everything is over. Sometimes, it’s just the beginning.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
He shook his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter anyway.” He cleared his throat as he pushed his plate aside. “Why don’t we work on our homework?”
I watched in disbelief as he opened one of his books and grabbed a notebook. How could he have changed the subject so abruptly, especially after saying something like that?
If Asher noticed me watching him, he didn’t show it. He kept his attention riveted to his book, never once glancing up at me. Finally, I gave up and turned my attention back to my book. The constant tick-tock, tick-tock of the clock above the sink was the only sound in the room. I focused on it, letting the sound soothe me.
We worked in silence for almost half an hour before either of us looked up again.
Asher finished his work first. He stretched his arms above his head. “Can I use your bathroom?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Just go out into the hallway. It’s the second door on the right.”
“Thanks.” He pushed his chair back and stood.
I watched him as he walked across the kitchen and disappeared into the hallway. Once he was gone, I turned my attention back to the math problems in front of me.
Only a few minutes after Asher had left the room, I shivered. I paused for a moment and looked around the empty kitchen before shivering again. The cold only intensified. It suddenly felt like I had stepped into a freezer.
“I hope the stupid air conditioner didn’t kick on,” I grumbled as I pushed away from the table and stood.
I wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm as I left the kitchen and walked into the hallway where the thermostat was. I stopped in front of the little white box and inspected the digital display.
“Still set at sixty-eight,” I mumbled.
Irritated, I made my way to the front door, grabbed one of my lightweight hoodies, and pulled it on. It helped, but I could still feel the chill in the air against my face as I walked back into the kitchen and sat down.
I tried to concentrate on my homework again, but I couldn’t. My body started to shake as the cold seemed to press in against me on all sides. It almost felt like a presence was in the room with me, causing the cold.
“Now, you’re just being dumb,” I said to myself. My eyes widened as I saw my breath as I spoke.
I heard a loud crash come from the bathroom. I froze as footsteps pounded down the hall.
A second later, Asher was standing in the doorway. One look at him was all it took for me to know that something was very, very wrong.
“Asher?” I whispered.
His face was drawn tight in anger…and maybe even fear. I’d never seen him look like that before, and I would be lying if I said that it didn’t scare me. He looked terrifying. His beauty was still there, but it was warped in a way that I couldn’t explain. The first thought that popped into my mind was that he looked like an avenging angel, the beauty and anger mixing together in one.
He ignored me as he stared at something behind me. I turned to see what he was staring at, but there was nothing. I looked back at Asher. His expression was still terrifying. Add in the fact that his body was shaking so hard that it looked like he was convulsing, and I knew that I needed to get away from him—now.
I started to stand, but I stopped when he held up his hand.
“Don’t!” he yelled.
“Asher, what’s wrong? Oh my God, you’re bleeding!” I gasped as blood slowly started to trickle from his nose.
It changed from a trickle to a gush, running down his lips and chin before dropping to the floor.
Asher closed his eyes as if concentrating very hard. “Cain!” His voice boomed around the room, echoing over and over in my head.
I cringed and closed my eyes, the sound so loud that it almost hurt my ears.
“You called?”
My eyes shot open. Asher was still standing in the exact same spot, but now, Cain was next to him. His words were mild, but his face was set in a determined expression.
“A little help?” Asher demanded.
Without a word, Cain took Asher’s hand in his and closed his eyes. Asher’s gaze found mine for a split second before he closed his as well.
Within seconds, the cold disappeared from the room. There was no gradual decrease. One moment, I had been shivering with my breath clearly visible, and the next, everything was exactly the same as it had been before.
Cain’s eyes opened first. He turned to Asher, who was still shaking with his eyes squeezed shut.
“Asher,” Cain said, his voice full of authority. “Asher! Are you all right?”
Asher slowly opened his eyes and pulled his hand free of Cain’s. He wobbled for a moment before leaning against the wall. “I’m great. Never been better.” His voice was weak.
“What the hell just happened?” I demanded as I stood.
Asher looked over at Cain and gave him a pleading look.
Cain studied him for a moment before looking at me. “Ella, can you grab a towel and a wet cloth, please? Asher’s nose is still bleeding.”
“I, uh…yeah.” I moved around them and went into the hallway.
I dashed into the bathroom and grabbed a towel and washcloth out of the linen cabinet. My hands shook as I held the cloth under warm water. Something…bad had just happened in my kitchen. I had no idea what, but I did know one thing for certain. There was something strange about the Collins brothers. I’d been unsure before when I saw Cain’s eyes and the way he fought off those guys, but now, I knew without a doubt that I was right.
I rushed back to the kitchen, but I stopped dead outside the door when I heard Cain and Asher talking quietly. Their voices were muffled, so I moved closer. I stopped just out of sight and held my breath as I tried to hear what they were saying.
“He won’t wait much longer,” Asher said.
“I know. I can’t believe that he’s waited even this long.”
“What are we going to do?”
“What we came here to do. We have to protect her for as long as possible, or neither of us will succeed,” Cain said quietly.
“How are we supposed to do that? You saw what just a few seconds of holding him off did to me. If he came at me again right now, I’d lose.”
There was a pause before Cain spoke again, “Then, we’ll have to work together—for a little while at least
.”
Asher snorted. “We’ve never been good at working together.”
“We don’t have much of a choice. Her mother’s actions set everything into play six months ago. The fact that she’s still alive is a miracle.”
My mother? I almost gasped out loud, but I caught myself. What did my mother have to do with any of this?
“Death is not patient, and he doesn’t take sides. We have no choice but to protect her together,” Asher said after a moment. He sounded defeated.
Death.
My heart started racing. Unable to stand it any longer, I stepped into the kitchen. The brothers were sitting at the kitchen table, both wearing an identical mask of worry. They turned to me as one, and the worry changed to concern.
“Are you all right?” Cain asked me.
“What are you two talking about?” I demanded. “My mother? Death? What is going on?”
Cain stood and stepped closer to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cut the crap, Cain! Tell me the truth.”
He gave me a pitying look as he reached out and gently touched my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ella.”
Then, everything went black.
When I awoke, everything was black. My chest constricted in fear as I tried to figure out where I was. After a moment, my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I saw moonlight coming through a window. It was just enough light to realize that I was in my bedroom, lying on my bed.
I slowly sat up and looked around, trying to figure out how I’d ended up here. Suddenly, the scene in the kitchen came crashing back to me—Asher, the coldness, Cain. I shuddered at the memory of the way Asher had looked.
The last thing I remembered was a hushed conversation between the brothers, and then I’d stormed in and demanded answers. Everything had gone black after that. Maybe I had fainted? After all, it would be completely understandable to faint after what I’d witnessed.
Obviously, one of them had managed to get me up to my room without any trouble. If Uncle Jack had walked in after I passed out, I was sure his shouting would have woken up even the dead. Still, I needed to make sure that he was okay.
I stood carefully, afraid that my legs would give out on me. I was surprised at how steady they were. In fact, I felt perfectly fine. Carefully, I crossed my room and opened my door. I peeked out into the hallway to make sure Uncle Jack wasn’t up before slipping out into the hall and walking to his door. I stopped outside and held my breath, hoping to hear any kind of sound coming from inside.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard Uncle Jack snoring softly. I was safe.
Now that I knew he was out for the night, I headed back down the hallway to the stairs. I was going to get some answers, and only two people could give them to me. I moved swiftly down the stairs, careful not to step on the stair that creaked, and walked to the front door. I eased it open inch by inch. I slid through the open space and stepped out onto our porch.
After closing the door quietly behind me, I walked across my yard to Cain and Asher’s house. Judging from the position of the moon and the lack of lights on our street, I knew it had to be very late—or very early, depending on how I looked at it.
The dead grass crunched with each step. I hurried my pace, not wanting to alert the whole neighborhood to what I was up to. When I reached their front door, I stopped. If I pounded on the door in the middle of the night, I had no doubt that their mother would murder me where I stood. If by some miracle she didn’t, Uncle Jack would take care of the job for her.
I finally decided that death by parent wasn’t the way I wanted to go. Instead, I stepped off their porch and walked around the side of the house to where I knew Cain’s window was. Feeling like a total dweeb, I scooped up a few tiny rocks on my way.
Who throws rocks at windows anymore? We’d simply text. Too bad I didn’t have either brother’s number.
Once I was below Cain’s window, I pulled back and let the first pebble fly. It missed the window by at least a foot. Cursing to myself, I aimed the next pebble and tossed it up. I smiled when it hit the glass. I waited a few seconds to see if Cain would appear before I threw another one. I frowned when he didn’t appear at his window.
“You make a habit of throwing rocks at boys’ windows in the middle of the night?” a voice asked from right behind me.
I let out a surprised squeal, but a hand quickly clamped over my mouth.
“Don’t start screaming, or you’ll wake the whole town up at this hour.”
The hand released me, and I spun around. Cain was standing only inches away from me. I was surprised that I knew it was him, but I did. Even though I’d only been around him and Asher for a few days, I could finally tell them apart. Cain’s stance was different, more rigid, than Asher’s. His eyes were sharper, too, whereas Asher’s were soft.
“You scared the crap out of me!” I hissed. “What are you doing out here?”
He chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing.”
My reason for being in his yard in the middle of the night came to the forefront of my mind. I nodded and motioned toward the front of his house. “We need to talk, and I’d prefer that we didn’t do it in the middle of your yard. Can we go inside?”
He shrugged. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
I followed him back around to the front of the house. He held the door open for me, and I quickly moved past him and into the safety of his house. I tiptoed into the living room, careful not to trip over anything in the darkness. I winced when he shut the front door, and it closed loudly.
He followed me into the living room, flipping on the overhead light.
“What are you trying to do, let your mom catch me here?” I whisper-shouted.
He chuckled. “As entertaining as that would be, no. She’s not home, so there’s no need for you to try to be stealthy.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling dumb. “Where is she?”
“She left town this morning for a business trip. She won’t be back for a couple of days.”
I sat down on the couch.
Cain dropped down next to me and put his feet on the coffee table. “So, what exactly do you want to talk about?”
“Cain, what on earth are you doing down here? It sounds like you’re trying to wake the dead,” Asher said as he appeared in the doorway. He froze for a split second when he saw me, but he quickly recovered. “Ella, I didn’t expect to see you here in the middle of the night. What brings you by?” He moved across the room toward us.
“She was just about to tell me. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s important. After all, she must be desperate if she was throwing rocks at my bedroom window.” Cain grinned over at me. “Not that I’m complaining. But just so you know, there are easier ways to get my attention late at night. We could even work out a flashlight code, so the next time you’re so desperate to see me, you won’t even have to leave your bedroom. I’ll come to you.”
His flirty words and tone set me on edge. I was in no mood to get into a bantering competition with Cain at the moment. I’d come for answers, and that was what I was going to get.
I turned to Asher. “I want to know exactly what happened in my kitchen tonight,” I said flatly.
Asher’s brow creased in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I want to know what made you act like that and why it suddenly felt like I was living in an igloo.” I pointed at Cain. “And, you, I want to know how you knew to show up when Asher needed you.”
Cain and Asher looked at each other in total confusion. I wasn’t buying it.
“Someone had better start talking, or I’m going to start punching,” I growled.
Finally, Cain looked back at me. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. I wasn’t in your kitchen tonight.”
“Don’t lie to me!” I shouted, suddenly so angry that I couldn’t sit still. I stood and started pacing the room. “I’m not an idiot. I know what I saw!”
<
br /> Asher spoke up, “Ella, calm down. He’s telling the truth. He wasn’t with us tonight.”
“Then, how did I end up waking up in my own bed when the last thing I remember is the two of you in my kitchen?”
Asher’s expression grew more concerned. “We were working on homework tonight, but you fell asleep before we made it very far. I didn’t want to leave you passed out on the table, so I carried you upstairs to your room and put you in your bed. Then, I left before your uncle got home, so I could avoid any questions he might ask about why a teenage boy was in your house while you were passed out.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. I’d expected Cain to lie straight to my face but not Asher. I’d always thought of him as the honest one.
“How can you do this?” I whispered. “I thought you were my friend, Asher, yet you can lie to me like this. Hell, if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what I saw, I’d believe you.”
“Ella—” Cain started.
I cut him off, “No, don’t, Cain. You two were talking about Death and my mother and something about keeping me alive. I couldn’t make something like that up.”
Asher moved closer to me, but I backed away. I shook my head at both of them, and then I turned and ran for the front door. I couldn’t stand to look at either of them any longer. I’d thought that they were my friends, but obviously, that wasn’t the case. Friends wouldn’t lie and keep things from each other.
I didn’t stop running until I was back on my own porch. I forced myself to breathe in and out as I fought not to cry. If I walked into Uncle Jack’s house while sobbing, he’d catch me for sure. I waited until I had calmed down to quietly open the door and sneak inside. After locking the door, I carefully made my way back to my room.
I didn’t let myself think about what had happened earlier or my recent confrontation with Cain and Asher until I was lying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. They’d both lied to me. They had known I wouldn’t fall for their trick, yet they had still tried. Why? What were they hiding that was so important that they couldn’t even tell me after what I’d witnessed?
I’d never believed in the paranormal or anything that was unusual. I had no reason to—until now. Cain’s glowing eyes flashed through my mind, followed by his strength. Asher’s terrifying expression was next along with the way Cain had magically shown up just when Asher needed his help. Add in the fact that my kitchen had become an ice cube, and I couldn’t help but let my mind drift in that direction.